


Shattered

by Catkween27



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Abuse, Domestic Violence, Happy Ending, Hilda is a sweet bean, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Sort Of, Suicide, Zelda Spellman Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:55:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25360468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catkween27/pseuds/Catkween27
Summary: Zelda’s time under the Caligary spell affected her more deeply than anyone had imagined
Relationships: Hilda Spellman & Zelda Spellman
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37





	Shattered

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty graphic, and it brings up some heavy topics. If you are triggered by any of the things in the tags, I do not recommend reading this. If not, I hope you enjoy this twisted story stressing Zelda’s trauma after the Caligary spell, because apparently the CAoS writers don’t care.   
> Don’t forget to leave a comment and tell me what you think!

The first thing Hilda noticed as she trekked up the stairs was the coppery scent of blood. 

It hung thick in the air like early morning fog, coating her nostrils and slipping uncomfortably down her throat. 

Her heart started to beat harder in her chest as cold dread enveloped her.

“Zelds?” She called warily, knowing full well that Sabrina and Ambrose were out and about, celebrating their victory against the Dark Lord no doubt, and that Zelda was home alone.

She was answered only with silence. 

“Zelda!”

Hilda felt a lump rise in her throat.

“Zelda, where are you?” 

She hurried up the stairs, gagging slightly at the powerful stench of blood that only grew stronger as she sped down the hallway towards the room she shared with her sister. 

She paused when she reached the door, one shaking hand gripping the knob as she said a silent prayer.

“Zelda?” She called one last time, with the fleeting hope that her sister would answer. Of course, she didn’t.

She turned the knob. Feeling the familiar brass beneath her fingers and the click as it turned. Slowly, Hilda opened the door. For a moment she was flooded with relief. The room was empty, Zelda must have gone out, she must have imagined the blood in the air. The feeling only lasted a moment. Her eyes focused on something she hadn’t seen at first glance.

In the corner of the room, the mirror of Zelda’s vanity had shattered. Glass shards lay twinkling on the table top, littered amongst Zelda’s bottles of creams and expensive perfumes. Her stomach turned. She knew how much Zelda treasured that vanity. It had been a gift from their father, long ago, and Zelda had kept it in pristine condition for over two hundred years. 

Hilda hardly realized that she had moved towards the vanity until she felt glass crunching beneath her shoes. She looked down at the shimmering fragments, catching broken glimpses of her own reflection. 

Her reflection, dotted with shining drops of crimson. Her gaze moved further, and she saw more and more droplets collecting on the hardwood floor. 

They were almost beautiful, she thought in a haze, admiring the contrast between the ruby drops and the rich brown of the hardwood floor. She was so enthralled, that she barely noticed the limp white hand poking out from behind the vanity. 

“Zelds?” She whispered, once she caught sight of the snowy fingers stark against a pool of blood. 

“Zelda!” 

Hilda snapped out of her stupor, rushing forward feeling her heart drop into the pit of her stomach as her sister came into view.

Zelda lay spread out in the floor, her already pale skin nearly translucent.

“Oh Zelda! What did you do!” 

She knelt down next to her sister, gazing in horror at the deep gashes that lined Zelda’s wrists. She took hold of one limp wrist, squeezing tightly to stop the flow. It didn’t help. The blood continued to flow from the wound and through the gaps of Hilda’s fingers, splashing onto the floor.

Hilda’s breath started to come in short ragged pants. The bleeding wouldn’t stop. Blood flowed freely from Zelda’s wounds washing over Hilda’s hands. 

Terror gripped Hilda to her very core as she was forced to watch the life trickle in scarlet streams from her sister’s wrists. She barely noticed the tears that had started to drip down her cheeks as she forced herself to get to her feet.

_Pull yourself together!_

She screamed at herself

_Zelda needs you!_

Shakily, Hilda made her way to the bathroom, pulling the first aid kit from the shelf with trembling hands and tottering l back to where Zelda lay on unsteady legs. 

She knelt again, closing her eyes for a moment to fight off the wave of nausea that enveloped her. Then she got to work. 

Carefully she sponged blood off her hands with a rag. 

_You can do this, Hilda_

She leaned forward to get a better look at the gashes on Zelda’s wrists. They were deep. Too deep, and they were still bleeding heavily. Hilda gulped, her head spinning at the thought of what she had to do as she fumbled with a needle and thread to try and put Zelda back together.

“Stay with me zelds!” She whispered, trying to ignore the pungent aroma of blood in the air. 

“Stay with me. I need you, sister”

Zelda didn’t move. She just lay there. Silent. 

Hilda blinked another round of tears from her eyes, and clenched her teeth. 

She gripped the needle tightly, and grimaced as she started to stitch the first cut. Blood continued to ooze, and Hilda nearly vomited as she put the slashed artery back together before starting work on the torn muscle and skin. 

“Why did you do it, zelds?” Hilda blubbered, realizing that Zelda’s other wrist was still bleeding heavily. 

She took off her scarf, wrapping it tightly around the open wound and tying a knot.

“Why...?” 

For a moment, Hilda was sure her sister was gone. Zelda’s chest lay still, and when hilda felt her sister’s neck for a pulse she came upflat. She tired again. And again. And again. Finally. She felt it. The faint thumping of Zelda’s heart causing a flood of relief to rush through Hilda. She redoubled her efforts, working quickly, and finally finishing the sutures on the first wrist. She wiped it clean and poured alcohol over it, hoping that the sting would get a reaction out of Zelda. It didn’t, and Hilda’s heart sank and she lay gauze over the wound and wrapped the whole mess tightly in bandages. 

“You’re going to be alright, Zelds” she whispered, brushing a lock of flaming hair out of Zelda’s face. 

“I’m going to take care of you, sister”

She moved on to the second gash, repeating the steps she had used on the first. 

Finally, the bleeding seemed to stop, and though Zelda still lay silent as the grave, Hilda felt relieved that at least she wasn’t loosing any more blood. 

The thunder of footsteps on the stairs startled Hilda, and she looked up from Zelda’s pale face.

“Aunt Hilda! Auntie Zelda! I’m home!” Ambrose’s voice rang clearly through the air. 

“In here, Ambrose!” Hilda called, realizing that if she hoped to move Zelda she would need some help. 

“Aunt Hilda?” Ambrose questioned as he poked his head into the room.

“Right here, love” Hilda whimpered. She knew she sounded bad, but she couldn’t control the waver in her voice.

“Aunt Hilda!” Ambrose gasped, spotting the blood on the floor.

“Aunt Hilda! Are you hurt?!”

“No-it’s-it’s Zelda!”

Hilda heard Ambrose gasp as his aunts came into view.

_Two hours earlier_

Zelda sat before her vanity, glass of whiskey in one hand, cigarette in the other. Big tears rolled down her cheeks as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She looked the same as she always had, hair coiffed to perfection, ruby red lipstick, piercing green eyes.

_But I’m not myself_

She thought, taking a shaky drag from her cigarette and washing down the smoke with a large swallow of whiskey. It burned her throat, but she welcomed the pain. She had control over it. Another tear rolled down her cheek, splashing into her drink and causing droplets of the amber liquid to leap into the air. 

_She could feel his hands around her throat, squeezing the life out of her as she was forced to smile dotingly at him. Sharp nails cut into her flesh as powerful fingers bruised the soft white skin of her neck. She could feel him inside her. Hot, pulsing, burning her insides with hellfire as she struggled in vain against his spell. Powerful witch though she was, she was not match against the might high priest and the Caligary._

_His fingers dug into her scalp, forcing her head up so he could look her in the eyes._

_She wanted so badly to kick and scream. To fight back. To tear his eyes from his skull. But she couldn’t. She was powerless, nothing but a doll for him to use as he pleased._

_“You’re so beautiful, Zelda” he panted in her ear_

_“A fine specimen”_

_Zelda felt sick_

_“With a face like that, well, how could you expect me not to take you?”_

_He grunted, thrusting deeper, and Zelda felt blood coating her thighs._

_“You brought this on yourself”_

Faustus’ words rang in her head as she gazed into the mirror. He was right. She  had  brought this on herself. If only she hadn’t been so vain. Maybe- just maybe, Faustus would have let her alone. 

More tears dropped down her face. 

_You brought this on yourself_

Her lower lip trembled.

_You brought this on yourself_

Her heart clenched in her chest 

You brought this on yourself 

“No!” She screamed, her fist flying into the polished glass of the mirror before her. Her reflection shattered, showering her in silvery shards and droplets of her own blood. 

“No...” she whispered it this time. Her fingers grasped a large shard of glass. She didn’t feel it cut into her palm, or the burning sting as she dragged it over her wrists. 

She watched in triumph as the crimson rivers flowed from her alabaster skin, mixing with her tears on the wooden floor. 

_ Finally _

She thought 

_Finally, I’m in charge_

*********

“ Will She be alright?” Ambrose asked when he and Hilda had deposited Zelda on her bed. 

“I don’t know, love.” Hilda whimpered, wiping tears out of her eyes 

“She’s lost a lot of blood”

“Should we get her changed?” Ambrose asked sheepishly, gazing a Zelda’s blood soaked gown. 

Hilda nodded and carefully lay her hand across Zelda’s forehead. It was burning up. 

“Yes. We’d better get her into something clean”

Carefully, Ambrose and Hilda maneuvered Zelda out of her dress. They lay her back down and Hilda went to fetch soap and water to wash the blood off of Zelda’s unconscious form. 

Hilda winced when she made contact with her sister’s skin. It was hot to the touch, and sweat was starting to bead on Zelda’s forehead. 

“Hang on, Zelda” she whispered to her sister, working quickly to sponge away the blood and put her in a clean nightgown. 

“There you go, love” Hilda said. She tucked the covers around Zelda and pressed a kiss to her hot forehead. 

“Shouldn’t we try to cool her off?” Ambrose asked.

“No. She’s in shock. We have to keep her warm.” Hilda answered, grabbing another blanket and layering it over Zelda as well. 

“Do you want me to stay here with you, Aunt Hilda?” Ambrose asked.

Hilda shook her head. She knew the boy didn’t really want to stay. 

“No. It’s alright love, I’ll take care of her. Maybe you should wait for Sabrina to get home and tell her that the aunties are indisposed first the night.”

Ambrose nodded, giving Hilda a quick hug before backing out of the room. 

Once her nephew had gone, Hilda pulled a chair up to Zelda’s bedside and sat down heavily, gazing sadly at her sister. 

“I’m so sorry, Zelds, I should have been there for you.” 

A tear ran down her cheek, and she reached forward to take Zelda’s limp hand. 

“But now, you have to fight, alright my love? You have to stay alive. Sabrina and Ambrose need you.  I  need you.” 

She ran her thumb over the pale knuckles. 

“I love you, Zee. You’re my big sister.” 

_ Hilda had just turned  seven _

_Edward was twelve, and Zelda was sixteen. They were playing in the field behind the house._

_Zelda tossed a ball into the air for her siblings, and Hilda and Edward clamored to grab it, ending up in a heap in the soft green grass._

_“Careful, Hildy!” Zelda called_

_“Mother will have a fit if you tear your stockings again!”_

_Hilda giggled, rolling over in the grass and holding the ball triumphantly over her head just as Edward collided with her, sending them both face first into the ground._

_“Be more gentle, Edward!” Zelda yelled, rushing over to pick Hilda up off the ground and brush her off before she could start crying._

_“She is a lot smaller than you”_

_Edward pouted, and mumbled an apology under Zelda’s harsh gaze._

_He took the ball back into his hands, and was about to toss it in Zelda’s direction when a crash and a shriek emanated from the house behind them. The children froze. The ball tumbled from Edward’s hands as another blood curdling scream rang through the air._

_“Mum?” Zelda called, turning and rushing towards the house, Hilda and Edward close behind her._

_“Mum?!”_

_They burst in through the back door, following the muffled sounds of a struggle and the sound of screams. Zelda skidded to a halt when they reached the kitchen, throwing out her arms to shield her younger siblings from the scene before them._

_Their mother cowered on the floor, surrounded by shattered glass while their father loomed over her, belt in hand, eyes burning with fury._

_“This shall be the last time you disobey me, Locasta!” He growled as the witch scrambled backwards._

_By now, Hilda was sobbing and Edward stood rooted to the spot as Silas Spellman caught sight of his children and rounded on them._

_“What are you brats doing here!” He screamed in drunken rage, brandishing his belt in the air._

_“Wanted In on the fun, eh?”_

_He stalked towards them, the belt swishing through the air, catching Zelda’s arm when she moved it to protect Hilda’s face._

_“Silas, no!” Locasta shrieked, scrambling to get feet and grabbing on to her husband’s arm._

_“Don’t hurt them!”_

_“Get off of me, you useless woman!” He spat, trying to shake her off._

_Zelda could see blood in her mother’s hair as she tried desperately to keep her husband from hurting her children._

“ _Zelda! Zelda, run! Take them and run!”_

_“No, mummy no!” Hilda wailed, reaching one small hand towards her mother._

_“Go! Get out of here!” Locasta was quickly loosing the battle against her husband, and Silas wrenched his arm out of her grip, whirling around to hit her across the face._

“ _Mummy!” Hilda screamed, trying to get to her mother. Zelda stopped her. Scooping the little girl into her arms as she fought and kicked._

_“No! Zee, no! I want mummy! He’s_ hurting mummy!”

“ _I know, I know sweetheart” Zelda whispered, holding her little sister tightly against her chest and quickly fleeing from the room._

_ “Edward! Come on!” She yelled behind her _

_ “Zelda, I can help!” _

_ “Don’t be a fool, he’ll kill you!”  _

_She set Hilda down, gripping her hand, and then grabbing Edward by the arm and dragging him along as well_.

“ _Come on! Don’t be a fool!”_

_ Zelda dragged her brother as sister down the hall and into the late afternoon sun. They were both crying now, calling for their mother, begging their father to stop, but Zelda forged on, leading the children into the trees of the Greendale woods. _

_“We have to keep moving!” Zelda said when Hilda tripped went sprawling over a root._

_ “I can’t, Zee! I hurt myself!” _

_ “Let me see.” Zelda tried to keep her voice even, ending down to see the large tear in Hilda’s stockings and the scrape beneath it.  _

_ “It hurts, Zee!” _

_ “I know, I know, sweetheart.” She said, scooping Hilda into her arms again. _

_ “But we have to keep going, alright?” _

_ “I want mummy!” Hilda blubbered, sticking one small thumb in her mouth. _

_ “I know.” _

_Zelda soothed, letting Hild_ a wrap her small arms around her neck and shooting a warning glance at Edward who had doubled over and was breathing heavily.

_“Come on.” She said_

_“I’m going to keep you safe”_

Hilda was wrenched out of the memory by a small movement. It was barely perceivable at first, but it was there. Zelda’s fingers twitched, flexing slightly and the relaxing.

“Zelda?” Hilda whispered watching Zelda’s hand move again.

“Zelds?”

A puff of air left Zelda’s mouth, and her chest started to rise and fall in tiny increments.

She twitched again and Hilda could have jumped for joy.

“Oh Zelda! I was so worried!”

A whimper left Zelda’s mouth, and her eyelids fluttered 

“Oh, Zelds...”

“Hildy...”

The voice that came out of Zelda’s mouth didn’t sound like her own. It was raspy, weak, and exhausted.”

“Hildy, you’re here?”

“Of course I am, Zelda!”

Hilda cried with a watery smile as she brushed tears out of her eyes.

“You’re my sister! I’ll always be here!”

“I’m so sorry...” Zelda croaked, and tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and down the sides of her face.

“No, no, love. Don’t be sorry! I don’t ever want you to apologize.”

“I-I didn’t mean... to cut so deep...” Zelda whispered. It was a lie of course, in that moment she had wanted nothing more than to die. 

“Of course you didn’t.” Hilda said tearfully, electing not to tell Zelda that she could see perfectly well that the cuts ran vertically down her wrists. She had meant to kill herself.

Hilda wanted so badly to take Zelda by the shoulders and shake her. Demand to know why she had tried to leave them when they needed her so badly.

“We were so scared for you, Zelds. I thought we were going to lose you.”

“It takes more than a little cut to get rid of me apparently.” Zelda said with a weak smile.

“Yeah, it does, doesn’t it, sister?” Hilda whispered, feeling her heart shatter at the thought of what would have happened had she been a few minutes later coming home. 

“Zelda?”

“Yes.”

“I need you to promise me you’ll never do that again. I don’t think I could bare a world without you in it.”

“I promise, Hildy. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll protect you.”


End file.
